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Zohar Nir, Ph.D., VP of Marketing and Sales for LycoRed, was excited by the impact this news will have on the industry. Dr. Nir, stated “This patent reveals the health advantages of combining vitamin E, an antioxidant which is widely used in the industry, with Lyc-O-Mato®, which provides a complex of antioxidant tomato carotenoids in addition to naturally occurring tocopherols. Consumers are sure to benefit from new formulations which take advantage of this important synergy which prevents the oxidation of LDL”.

Oxidation of LDL cholesterol is thought to be a causative factor in atherosclerosis – the single major cause of death in western society. Atherosclerosis is a gradual process in which fatty substances and cholesterol build up and eventually deposit in the arteries forming “plaque”. The plaque causes the arterial walls to harden and thicken which can reduce blood flow. If the plaque ruptures, blood clots can result leading to heart attack or stroke. Prevention of LDL oxidation by antioxidants may arrest the progression of atherosclerosis.

The present patent is based upon the discovery that there is an unexpected and surprising synergistic effect found between lycopene and vitamin E in the prevention of LDL oxidation. Commenting on this patent, Dr. Michael Aviram of the Lipid Research Laboratory, Technion Faculty of Medicine and Rambam Medical Center,Bat-Galim Haifa Israel, states “The ability to prevent the development of atherosclerotic plaque has major implications for public health. A therapeutic agent that both lowers cholesterol and inhibits oxidative changes to LDL might have beneficial effects that are superior to the effects attributed to individual agents.”

The formulation described in the patent, a synergistic mixture of lycopene and vitamin E, provides precisely these benefits. It prevents LDL oxidation and therefore arrests the progression of atherosclerosis, while at the same time moderately lowering cholesterol.

Research behind the patent adds further support to the already accumulating evidence that the health benefits of a whole tomato complex, such as Lyc-O-Mato®, which contains a mixture of antioxidants, including lycopene, vitamin E and beta carotene, produces more pronounced antioxidative effects than lycopene, vitamin E or beta carotene alone.

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Lyc-O-Mato® is a registered trademark of LycoRed Natural Products Ltd., Israel . Additional information is available at www.lycored.com and 1-866-LYC-O-MATO.